Abu Dhabi ranked as one of the most family-friendly tourism spots in the world

The UAE and its capital have been ranked among the ten most family-friendly tourism destinations in the world.

Club Med, the French holiday specialist, compiled a list of the 25 most attractive destinations for families — and Abu Dhabi ranks at number 9. The list was based on a number of factors, including the average cost of a break, total number of visitors from the UK and the “cost of a meal at an inexpensive restaurant”. A total of 156 countries were considered for the study, with 25 making the final cut.

According to Club Med, the total number of holiday visits to Abu Dhabi by UK travellers stands at 634,125, while the average spend per visit is £1,140 (Dh5,339). Notably, this was one of the highest of all the destinations in the survey’s top 10, surpassed only by Thailand, which came in at number 5 with an average spend per holiday visit of £1,579.

Madrid was ranked as the ultimate family holiday destination, with a score of 6.13 out of 10. London came in second, followed by Paris, Berlin, Bangkok, Vienna, Budapest and Stockholm – then Abu Dhabi, with Lisbon rounding out the top ten.

The emirate has done much in recent years to make itself more attractive to families, welcoming new seaside hotels and resorts, world-class theme parks and the world’s fastest roller coaster. Here are four of the most family friendly destinations and attractions in the emirate:

In this 153,290-square-metre park, children can interact with Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and a host of other beloved cartoon characters, including Bugs Bunny, Scooby-Doo and Fred Flintstone. Six immersive lands — Gotham City, Bedrock and Metropolis — are home to 29 rides, family-friendly attractions, dining options and shopping outlets.

One of the first Emirati organisations to focus on protecting endangered species, including the dama gazelle, the brown capuchin and the Arabian sand cat, is the Al Ain Zoo. Its spacious enclosures are inhabited by indigenous and exotic species such as the Arabian oryx, the big-horned Barbary sheep, rhinos, hippos, tigers and lions. Visitors can feed giraffes, take part in a walk-through lemur experience and the see world's largest human-made safari, a 217-hectare landscape housing more than 250 African and Arabian animals.

For a more adrenalin-fuelled family outing, Wadi Adventure is found at the base of Al Ain's Jebel Hafeet. The Middle East’s first man-made white-water rafting experience also offers an aerial adventure course, which includes an 18 obstacle, two-level challenging air park, a 200-meter-long zip line, climbing wall and a 14-meter-high giant swing.

If your young ones aren't yet able to appreciate the masterpieces on show at the main museum, they'll still have lots of fun at Louvre Abu Dhabi's Children's Museum. Centrally located across two floors, this specially designated section of the museum hosts family-focused exhibitions and interactive workshops in both Arabic and English. Aimed at children between the ages of six and 12, the focus is on teaching young ones about artistic techniques and ideas.